The 18-year-old Australian model is aware of her position as a role model and a rule changer in the industry. PHOTO: FILE
Earlier this month it was announced that Madeline Stuart, an 18-year-old Australian model with Down's syndrome, will be gracing the runway at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) in September for Italian fashion label FTL Moda.
PHOTO: POPSUGARNYFW is widely known as one of the most important fashion events and it is the ultimate dream of every designer and model to be a part of it. So for Madeline to be invited to walk the ramp at this fashion event is an absolute honor and a testament to all her hard work, reported The Independent.
The 18-year-old Australian model is aware of her position as a role model and a rule changer in the industry. She is the second model with Down's syndrome to walk the runway at NYFW; the first being Jamie Brewer (of American Horror Story fame) who walked the runway for the same label in February.
PHOTO: FACEBOOKMadeline has been a working model since her mother started a social media campaign earlier this year to get her daughter a modeling contract. The response she received was overwhelming and within weeks the young girl managed to secure two modeling contracts and gather a huge fan following on social media. Currently, she is modelling for two labels; Manifesta (an American fitness-wear brand) and everMaya (a lifestyle brand).
While Madeline's fashion week announcement has sent social media into an absolute frenzy (which for the most part is positive), this is not the first time that the fashion industry has made an attempt to be more inclusive of people with disabilities. In February, not only did FTL Moda include Jamie Bower in it's model lineup, they also included models from around the world with other disabilities. This lineup included amputees and several models in wheelchairs.
PHOTO: TWITTERIn July, a Los Angeles based fitness photographer Michael Stokes broke yet another barrier by photographing war veteran amputees. The series includes 14 US Army, Navy and Marine Corps veterans of the Iraq, Gulf and Afghanistan wars. Stokes' approach to photographing these models was to not treat them as amputees but as regular models. The result was a series of stunning images that started yet another social media frenzy and garnered Stokes the recognition he deserved.
The fashion world is in a unique state of dynamism right now. While it may be catching on to the worldwide trends of acceptance and inclusiveness, there are still runways that cater to the standard definitions of tall, skinny, beautiful models. However with people like Madeline Stuart continuing to break barriers and make a place for themselves in this most difficult of industries, there seems to be more than just a glimmer of hope for the future.
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